McIntosh and Co. Cabinetmakers

 On Tuesday May 5th, I came in and began painting shelves for Todd (the co. owner). These pieces were going into his home. That was a quick task, I then moved onto hand sanding many, many pieces that were primed. After wood is primed it tends to raise the grain in the wood so to get it smooth to the touch for a finish coat of paint these trim pieces needed to be "rubbed out" or hand sanded with a 120 or 220. 

This photo above and below is the mock-up of the ceiling trim package that consist of the assembled pieces I am sanding and stacking for shipment. 

Some cove mouldings

At the end of the day this is the amount of wood I sanded by hand. It was a dusty days. Definitely wore a respirator. 

Thursday, May 7th I sanded some units again for the owners home and then brushed on a poly oil finished once the pieces had the smoothness he wanted. There was less hand sanding this day then the day prior but more meticulous sanding for sure. 

Externship Summary:

My experience with McIntosh and Co. Cabinetmakers was incredibly valuable in that it allowed me a glimpse into the day to day of a cabinetmaker and the different rolls that each employee in this production shop played. Each employee operated differently in speed and the task they were working on was usually different. I was able to see briefly how someone manages time during the process of building an entire home's worth in cabinetry that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. The whole experience was great, I was able to apply the squaring techniques that I learned at CMCC toward the assembly of boxes and face frames that I worked on during my time there. I also gained knowledge that strengthened my wood species identification skills. Every single day was a new challenge and if you have an open mind for new information their are endless tips and tricks you can learn in a cabinet shop such as this. 

    I fully recommend taking on an externship through Central Maine Community College! 

It was so beneficial to me because it made me rethink my idea for an end-career-goal. I never thought that I would enjoy it more than what I was practicing now which is residential building and construction. I enjoyed very much the localized aspect of this kind of shop work and the level of artistry in cabinetmaking. And it wasn't always cabinetmaking either, occasionally I got to work on ceiling casements packages, custom moldings and other furniture pieces as well. So if your hesitant on trying something like this or any other externship for that matter, it will only make your decision for an end-career-goal very clear. You may dislike it or you may end up enjoying it very much like I did in this case.